From the mailroom to the Beehive: Tongan MP reflects on her time in politics

For the first time since she was 18-years-old, Anahila Kanongata’a is now unemployed.

In an interview with 531pi’s Pacific Mornings, Kanongata’a appeared to still be reeling after Labour’s devastating loss - her party secured 65 seats in the 2020 election but only 34 are promised this time round.

And given her list placing, her seat is not included.

“A little numb”

Kanongata'a says her initial reaction post-election was pure shock.

“I was watching the results in Papakura with my team. I thought it might lift! Half way through the night we knew that that was the result. I was a little bit numb.”

After enduring an arduous two terms with unprecedented challenges presented to her government, and a history of getting in via the party list instead of her Papakura electorate, it’s clear that rising in the Labour list rankings from 44 in 2020 to 34 this year, was not enough to secure a spot.

And she wasn’t alone with a number of her fellow Labour colleagues also missing out.

“What surprised me was the party vote in Papakura dropped nearly 10,000 votes less [than 2020 election]”.

Kanongata'a’s opponent for her electorate, Judith Collins may have had less votes than she received in 2020, but the party vote soared in National’s favour.

Even after the special votes are counted, the results won’t do much to change the deficit, and so Kanongata'as time in politics has come to an end.

She says goodbye to roles such as the chair of Labour’s Pasifika Caucus and Social Services and Community Select Committee Deputy Chairpersonship.

Kanongata’a entered politics under Jacinda Ardern’s leadership in 2017 via the party list and again in 2020, but only after she stood unsuccessfully in the 2011 and 2014 elections as a Labour list MP.

From the mailroom to Parliament

The former Labour MP told Pacific Mornings that she started working in the mailroom of the Department of Social Welfare.

Still coming to terms with this fact, her tone sounded incredulous: “This is the first time in my life where I’m in a space of unemployment.”

Kanongata’a left school in form 6 (year 12), much to the disappointment of her family who wanted her to go to university.

Prior to the election, she shared with Newshub what her career before politics looked like.

"I've lived my work-life in child youth and family departments. Social welfare, Oranga Tamariki in all its different forms.

"I've worked my way up from the mailroom to a social worker, supervising social workers, managing social workers and giving advice in Wellington."

She didn’t have any formal education until the age of 30 - when she realised she wanted a better career for herself.

Kanongata’a is proud of her journey into government, an underdog story that defies all constructs that align with politics, but is not too dissimilar from other Pacific tales of migrant success.

“It’s a great country, New Zealand. All the blessings in my life have been while Labour has been in power. For me, I owe the party something and that’s me staying involved and educating people who want to be involved in the party.”

Dissecting Labour’s loss

When asked if Labour’s overall loss was a direct result of a lacklustre campaign that targeted middle New Zealand and ignored their loyalists, her eyebrows furrowed and she looked visibly annoyed.

Instead she denied the premise of the question, listing policies such as free lunches in school, free prescriptions for medications and free public transport for those under 30.

“I don’t think we’ve lost touch with the people. If you look at what we’ve done, it supports all of New Zealand.”

Community leaders such as Dave Letele raised the issue of a lack of voting papers at some voting booths as a potential cause for poor turnout in Labour’s South Auckland strongholds.

But Kanongata'a also wouldn’t be drawn on whether this was a factor in her party’s loss.

“Ballot papers are given out based on the number of votes in previous elections.”

Instead of defining the issues that may have held back brown communities from participating on October 14, Kanongata'a highlighted her own positive personal experience of election day with her daughter.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank the 900 people working on election day. I used to be an election day worker myself. There is lots of training involved and they do the best they can do.

“It will be interesting to see the Pacific voter turnout. There were a lot of other events going on in the Pacific community that day.”

And once such event she alluded to, was the Māngere parade in celebration of the Toa Samoa rugby league team.

“I'm sure they weren’t going to vote.”

Reflections

For Tongan-born Kanongata'a, she’s most proud of all the homes that were built during her party’s term in government.

Labour’s contributions to improving housing were personal.

“I grew up in a state house. [I’m most proud] of seeing all those warm homes being built for New Zealand and the roll on effect in terms of the health of the country.”

“Most people are saying to me I used to go to the doctor once a month or so, but since moving into my warm state house I don’t go as often.”

After a vibrant childhood in the Kingdom of Tonga eating mango, coconut, guava and riding horses, swinging on vines and playing with cousins by the ocean daily, Kanongata'a arrived in New Zealand in 1980, living with her mother and step-father in Onehunga.

“We lived in Onehunga. I didn't know that the kids I was hanging out with were the state house kids. We just thought we were the kids in the neighbourhood.”

Whilst in government, she was the New Zealand Representative to the Pacific Region Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians where women delegates and MPs unite to discuss causes affecting women in Parliament.

Kanongata'a was successful in amending the Commonwealth Parliament Association constitution to ensure that travelling delegations are made up of at least 30 per cent women.

Any other moments of pride?

The words “an honour and privilege” echo multiple times throughout her interview.

“I did have a bill that was made law. That’s my little thing that I can lay claim to, but I wouldn’t have been able to do it if it wasn’t for the Labour Party.”

Her members bill passed in 2021 - offering protection to those with disabilities from having necessary items for their care, support, or independence seized by debtors.

Kanongata'a credits Labour for many wins for the Pacific community, including over $3 million distributed to the Pacific region to support their response to climate change, the arrival of “new talent” like Barbara Edmonds and increasing the budget for Pacific people alongside the Pacific Peoples Minister Aupito William Sio.

“Carmel wouldn’t be the deputy Prime Minister too, you wouldn’t get that under a National Party.”

And finally: “Being Tongan in parliament!”

Bringing the Pacific community into Parliament each language week in an effort to incorporate Pacific culture into the process was another key highlight, something she hopes continues after she’s gone.

“Making Parliament for all Pacific and all of New Zealand. It’s about normalising Parliament as a place where we can have functions.”

Life after politics

With her youngest daughter starting university next year and a daughter in Australia “with plans for me to be a grandmother”, Kanongata'a is expecting life away from the Beehive to be lighter, but is open to new forms of service to her communities.

One of those forms of service will be a new business idea focused on helping NGOs, Kanongata'a has been quick to formulate what’s next for her on her own terms.

“I’ve had a couple of offers but I’m looking at starting my own business. It will be difficult to do, another challenge. But I’m looking at launching in November.”

On her final days in Parliament and whether or not she’s had time to process anything, Kanongata'a said with a weary smile:

“It rolls on you, as with any other ending of employment.”